Patrick Stevens' coverage of college sports in D.C./Baltimore/Virginia, just the same as ever

March 2013

03/25/2013

George Mason built a big lead. George Mason let it disappear. George Mason found itself in a toss-up.

In some ways, it is the story of the season for the Patriots. This time, in the College Basketball Invitational quarterfinals, Mason survived.

The 88-84 overtime defeat of Houston on Monday extended the Patriots' season for at least one more game, a Wednesday date at the Patriot Center against a yet-to-be-named opponent.

"I'm glad this time, we came out with the win," forward Jonathan Arledge said. "Same thing happened against Charleston; we had a lead and let them come back."

The truth is, it happened more than once. There was a 20-point lead squandered against Drexel in late January. Delaware rallied from 10 down in the final nine minutes in the regular-season finale. Most famously, Mason led 28-4 and permitted Northeastern to erase that deficit --- in about seven minutes --- in the CAA semifinals.

Maybe the underlying cause was different in each of those losses. But the same team was on the floor, and so the questions surface about just what ails the Patriots.

That's a reality, and an irksome one for coach Paul Hewitt.

"I think sometimes people talk in generalities," Hewitt said. "They say 'You guys
blew a lead' and this and that as opposed to really dissecting it and
saying 'What happened?' Was it turnovers? Was it rebounding? Was it not
guarding off the dribble? This gives us a real good chance to examine
those things --- not that we haven't talked about them in the past, but
young players being that they're young, they don't hear things exactly
right."

Nonetheless, even Hewitt acknowledged this reminded him of how the Patriots (20-14) let that Drexel game slip away nearly two months ago. This time around, Mason scored the first 17 points. It led 28-9.

Soon enough, the lead was down to two. Mason pushed its advantage back to 10 in the second half, then saw the Cougars (20-13) inch ahead 75-74 with 1:24 left for its only lead of the game.

But there would be an Arledge dunk and a Sherrod Wright free throw to help nudge things into overtime. Once there, Wright handed the Patriots a lead with a 3-pointer and then finished off Houston with two free throws with a second to go.

With that, Mason closed out the sort of game it couldn't wrap up for much of the season.

"This is nothing but a positive for us because we see some of the things we need to work on, especially moving forward going into the A-10," Hewitt said, referencing the far larger news of the day if Mason's shift out of the CAA. "We also see some bright spots because we have some guys that can make some plays."

One of those is Wright, who scored a career-high 29 points thanks in part to a determination to drive to the basket rather than become jump-shot happy. Another is Arledge (11 points), who has reached double figures in nine of 14 games since moving into the starting lineup.

The truth is, this third-tier postseason tournament can benefit Mason, which has no seniors in its rotation. Another home game is coming, and perhaps even a chance at playing in the CBI's quirky best-of-3 championship series.

It isn't what Mason dreamed about back in November. But it does provide the opportunity for growth, just as Monday's victory demonstrated the capacity for the Patriots to move beyond the disappointments from oh-so-similar games in recent months.

"We didn't have the best season we wanted, but it's a chance for us to
come out here and win this tournament and go into next season with a
fresh start," Wright said.

Maryland guard Seth Allen is likely done for the season after fracturing a bone in his left hand.

Coach Mark Turgeon said Monday the freshman suffered the injury at the start of practice Sunday and will not play in Tuesday's NIT quarterfinal at Alabama. Allen will see a specialist after the Terrapins (24-12) return from Tuscaloosa, Ala.

"Most likely, even if we're lucky enough to advance, Seth is done for the year," Turgeon said.

Allen is averaging 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists for Maryland. He's reached double figures in four of the Terps' five games since the start of the ACC tournament. Allen walked past reporters with his left hand wrapped up.

Turgeon said the left-handed Allen suffered the injury while reaching in for a ball. His absence creates a modest depth issue for Maryland, which has used a five-man backcourt rotation throughout the season.

In Thursday's 62-52 defeat of Denver, Turgeon briefly turned to a five-guard alignment with Allen, Logan Aronhalt, Nick Faust Pe'Shon Howard and Dez Wells. Should Maryland opt to go small against the Crimson Tide (23-12), it will have to use all four of its available guards along with either forward Jake Layman or one of the big men who spend their time exclusively at the four or the five.

That could include more time for the likes of Charles Mitchell (14 minutes per game over the last five games), Shaquille Cleare (6.8 minutes per game in that span) and James Padgett (4.3 minutes per game plus two DNPs over the last five games).

"We can still play a small lineup, but maybe not as much," Turgeon said. "Alabama's a bigger, stronger team. They still play four guards at times, but guys
like Padge, Charles, Shaq will probably get those minutes also."

Allen's injury caught teammates by surprise.

"No one saw it happen," Howard said. "You heard him scream a little bit. I thought he
was going to be right back into practice. ... I don't think anybody knew
how serious it was until after. You could see he was in a lot of pain.
Later, he walked into my room in a sling and I told him he had to get
out because he was going to bring bad luck."

Allen's injury is one of the few to have a major impact on Maryland this season. Howard missed a Jan. 30 game against Florida State because of illness, while reserve forward John Auslander (broken leg) has not played since Dec. 12.

"I feel bad for Seth because he's been really playing well," Turgeon said. "It's a blow to us, and it's a big blow to us because of the way he's been playing."

03/23/2013

PHILADELPHIA --- Georgetown came into this year's NCAA tournament with some lousy recent history in the event.

Gone at the hands of a No. 10 seed (Davidson) in 2008.

Gone in a first-round upset against a No. 14 seed (Ohio) in 2010.

Gone in another opener against a No. 11 seed (Virginia Commonwealth) in 2011.

And gone in the round of 32 against a No. 11 seed (N.C. State) last year.

Then came Friday's 78-68 loss to 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast, a jarring setback for a program increasingly accustomed to them in recent years.

How much? Well, Hoyas coach John Thompson III is only the third coach in NCAA tournament history to lose five games to a double-digit seed when his team was seeded at least five spots higher than his opponent.

(For those wondering why "five slots higher" was chosen, well, it's because the NCAA record book uses that as its cut-off for list such upsets. It doesn't, however, break down those losses by coach. Either way, this includes losing to an 11 seed or higher in the first round, as well as second-round ousters as 2-10, 3-11 or 4-12 --- among others).

(NOTE: Original version included Florida's Billy Donovan with three such upsets; the NCAA record book listed Wisconsin-over-Florida as a 12/5 upset in 2009, when the Badgers actually defeated Florida State).

One common thread for all of those coaches, Thompson very much included, is they had their share of successful teams over the long haul of a regular season. Georgetown hasn't had a chance to lose such games without being really good for most of the year.

At the same time, no other coach has strung together more than two of these early ousters in a row. The Hoyas are at four years and counting.

“I wish I could,” Thompson said when asked if he could find a common thread in his program's tournament woes. “Trust me, more than anyone
on this earth, I’ve tried to analyze it, think about it, look at it, see what
we could do --- should do --- differently, and I don’t know.”

03/21/2013

While long-time readers know I have little interest in audacious uniforms (though there's little reason to complain in a get-off-my-lawn manner, since it doesn't matter), the underlying value of the endorsement deals is interesting.

Block Six Analytics and SponsorPitch broke down the 68-team NCAA tournament field and found 76 percent of the schools involved (52 would be the raw number). But the company ran the numbers and declared that Adidad schools (which include Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, N.C. State, Notre Dame and UCLA) have a collective 45 percent chance of producing the national champion.

That's fun and all, but the most intriguing tidbit was that Nike pays an averages of $1.67 million a year to outfit a top-50 RPI team, while Adidas shells out $3.23 million per top-50 team.

The conclusion to be drawn on the surface is Adidas has more to lose if one of its high-profile teams gets upset and loses exposure earlier in the tournament --- yet an intriguing twist, it's Nike that needs a fair number of its schools (Georgetown, Gonzaga, Saint Louis) to do well because their deals don't include a major-college football program.

* And I would be remiss if I didn't thank Dan Steinberg for his kind article in the Washington Post yesterday, as well as the comments in it from George Washington coach Mike Lonergan, Maryland PR ace Zack Bolno and Section 114 ringleader Eric Garment. Much, much appreciated all around.

03/15/2013

GREENSBORO, N.C. --- There was only one thing Pe’Shon Howard
could think of as his lone 3-point attempt in Maryland’s ACC tournament opener
twirled through the air and eventually through the net.

He laughed, because really, what else could the guard do as
an oft-forgettable yet still salvageable junior season approached its
conclusion.

Howard had 10 points, his first venture in double figures
all season, to help the Terrapins dispatch Wake Forest 75-62 at the Greensboro
Coliseum.

This from a guy who fell apart in mid-January and took more
than a month to recover.

This from a guy who was suspended for the Terps’ rousing
upset of Duke last month.

This from a guy who only recently came to realize coach Mark
Turgeon was right, that he was far more important to Maryland’s success than he
fully knew.

“He’s kind of being back to himself now, the fun-loving
Pe’Shon, dancing and just having a good time,” said guard Logan Aronhalt, whose
Terps (21-11) meet second-seeded Duke in Friday’s quarterfinals. “He made some
shots tonight and you could see it in his eye how much different of a player he
was and how different the game was for him.”

It was a fundamentally different Howard from much of
conference play, and he had little difficult pegging Maryland’s Jan. 9 loss to
Florida State as the start of his problems.

Howard had three quick turnovers in that game and struggled
mightily for the next month. He lost his starting job and soon became an
afterthought after a solid two months to open the season --- especially after a
disastrous game with no assists, no points and seven turnovers at North
Carolina.

“I’m a perfectionist, so I let it get to me early and it was
downhill from there,” Howard said. “The crazy thing is we played N.C. State and
I played well, so I thought ‘Good, I turned it around.’ I walked into a
hurricane in North Carolina. That was something that had never happened before.”

In turn, he never dealt with something quite like that
before, either. His sophomore year was bookended with injuries, but in between
he helped keep an undermanned Maryland bunch afloat.

There was no such sense of accomplishment to take this time
around.

“I felt like I was letting guys down, but instead of turning
around and being tough and growing mature up and being mature about it, I was
just getting down on myself,” Howard said. “I was like ‘I don’t want to affect
them in a negative way,’ so I just kept to myself.”

In half of Maryland’s league games, Howard didn’t score. In
two others, he didn’t play. Entering March, he had 26 assists and 22 turnovers
against conference opponents, a stark turn for a player who effectively ran the
offense early in the season, albeit against weak competition.

Turgeon, though, knew how vital Howard would be for any sort
of postseason push for Maryland. In truth, Nick Faust isn’t a point guard.
Freshman Seth Allen isn’t ready for those responsibilities.

Meanwhile, Howard just wasn’t himself.

“I wouldn’t say that he lost it,” Allen said. “He just
didn’t take advantage of it as much as he could have.”

It started to sink in during Maryland late-season trip to
Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Turgeon opted to go with a defense-oriented
lineup in the latter game, and Howard started for the first time in two months.

And it led to some self-reflection in Howard, who will be
the only four-year scholarship senior next season.

“I think so, especially since influence-wise,” Howard said. “That
was the main thing I could have done better is just influence my teammates and
just be positive for them and support them.”

Better late than never.

“I think he’s getting his swagger back now,” forward
Shaquille Cleare said. “Those things, he can do. I think he’s feeling
comfortable now in the starting lineup again and I think he’s going to take
this team where we need to go.”

03/14/2013

GREENSBORO, N.C. --- The shouts cascaded down during
Maryland’s last few road trips, unhappy fans in the rows behind the Terrapins’
bench irked at the man blocking the view of the court.

“ZOOLANDER!,” came the screams. “ZOOOOO-LANDER!”

On his feet --- at long last --- was John Auslander, unworried
and mostly unaware of the griping until teammates fill him in on the details
later.

As long as the game is unfolding, Auslander has other things
occupying his mind as he functions as a de facto coach who happens to be listed
on the roster. The junior has not played since December after breaking his left
leg, but has remained active in the program.

It’s especially obvious when the forward is an animated
presence during games.

“I guess since I got out of the shirt and tie, they decided
because my name’s on the back [of the warmup shirt] that they can start yelling
at me because they know who I am now,” Auslander said.

The Terps (20-11) know exactly who Auslander is. He was an
end-of-the-rotation player early last season before Alex Len became eligible. He’s
the most recognizable of Maryland’s scout teamers, although the former Division
III player is on scholarship for the second straight season.

He stands out. He spent much of the season on crutches, but
he remained demonstrative at the end of the bench. He added extra opposition
film study when the chance of playing again this season disappeared. And he
evolved into an even greater conduit between coach Mark Turgeon and his staff
and a youthful roster.

“He’s really another coach,” guard Logan Aronhalt said. “He
knows the game. He just cares so much that he can’t contain himself. He’s out there
at practice and during the games just screaming and yelling and letting guys know
‘This is where you need to be.’ It’s just another set of eyes, really. It helps
us.”

*****

Auslander was back on the floor Wednesday at the Greensboro
Coliseum, where seventh-seeded Maryland begins ACC tournament play tonight
against Wake Forest. He was running a bit himself.

But mostly, he was talking.

“Let’s go bigs,” he barked. “Let’s go Padge.”

Rest assured, teammates were listening to one of the few
holdovers from former coach Gary Williams’ last season.

Auslander sat out that season after transferring from
Greensboro College. He averaged only 7.4 minutes as a freshman, but got a head
start of sorts on his current role.

“I was definitely up yelling, but probably not as much,”
Auslander said. “Knowledge is quickness, they say, and I’m more knowledgeable
about the game [now] so I’m able to say more.”

He’s found an outlet with a team littered with underclassmen
in significant roles.

Auslander, who roomed with Len when the Ukrainian arrived
last season, saw two pupils arrive over the summer. Shaquille Cleare and
Charles Mitchell are unpolished post players, though both enjoyed solid moments
as freshmen.

All along, Auslander was offering insight.

“John has been teaching me the game since I’ve been here and
I’ve learned so much from John,” Cleare said. “Sometimes John gives you tough
love. I know he has the passion and fight in him of a champion. I’ll never mind
listening to John. I listen to John over the coaches sometimes.”

Cleare grinned as he considered his words.

“Don’t tell them that,” he said sheepishly. “But John’s great.”

The latter sentiment is telling, considering Auslander’s
opportunities for critiques. Turgeon stressed to Auslander the importance of
remaining upbeat with players, though his criticism is generally constructive
enough for the Terps to individually take in with minimal complaint.

“The players have learned to accept his coaching, which is
not easy sometimes, so that shows you how much they respect John,” Turgeon
said. “I’m sure there are some times when they want to say ‘John, would you
just shut up. I’ve got coach on me, I don’t need you on me.’”

Yet of everyone in the program, Auslander might be more
closely connected with both coaches and players than anyone. It provides him
with a unique perspective, one that can make matters behind the scenes easier
to handle.

Sophomore guard Dez Wells, himself a boisterous presence,
knows he can come across too strong, so he often runs ideas past Auslander to
see if he’s missing something and help figure out the best way to discuss
situations with a coach or a teammate.

“He’s another reasonable voice,” Wells said. “Sometimes, a
coach doesn’t get through to you. Having one of your players and one of your
peers come to you and say ‘Hey, this is what coach is trying to tell you to do,
so just do this and you’ll be fine. Just listen to the message behind what he’s
saying.’ … What he brings to our team can’t be replaced.”

*****

Auslander makes little secret of his coaching aspirations,
acknowledging he hopes to spend three more years in College Park --- one as a
player, two more as a graduate student.

If a coaching gig doesn’t emerge with the Terps, Turgeon has
promised to help him find a spot to get a start on a career. For now, Auslander
maintains a journal, keeping track of situations he might encounter down the
road.

After Maryland’s defeat of Duke last month, he asked Turgeon
why he called a timeout in a certain situation and why he didn’t order Seth
Allen to miss a free throw up one point in the closing seconds.

“The same questions I used to ask coach [Larry] Brown,”
Turgeon said, referencing his own career at Kansas. “I think he has a chance.
He’s really passionate about it.”

Auslander’s future plans received an unintended head start
during a December practice. He was showing on a ball screen and went to plant
as he sprinted back and his left leg jammed up above the ankle. He dealt with a
stress fracture over the summer, and it felt somewhat similar.

This, though, was a lot worse.

Auslander was on crutches and off the floor for months. His
chance to play --- and Turgeon likely would have used him a few times as
regular rotation players struggled --- beyond the 16 minutes he logged early in
the season disappeared.

And suddenly, Auslander needed to figure out his place on a
fast-evolving team.

“The toughest thing with the injury is dealing with your
role changing and feeling like you might lose your voice or might not have as
much of an impact,” Auslander said. “I’ve just wanted to come in every day with
energy. I know our system defensively and offensively and I know what coach Turgeon
wants.”

He also knows what he wants: A path to coaching, a chance to
teach and one last season to savor with teammates once he’s fully healthy.

“I’ll be here one more year, for sure,” Auslander said.

Consider the ACC warned. There will be some obstructed view
seats behind the Maryland bench next winter, a quietly valuable asset in the
Terps’ locker room and a roster certain to listen to the persistent voice who stands
far from where coaches are usually seen.

It appears more and more likely Georgetown will be the sole team from the Baltimore-Washington corridor in the NCAA tournament. But the postseason is still in play for some other teams in the area.

Take Loyola.

The Greyhounds will play a College Insider Tournament game Tuesday at Reitz Arena against an opponent still to be determined. Whoever it is will (a) come from a non-power conference and (b) will have a winning record. Loyola went 21-11 before losing to Manhattan in the Metro Atlantic quarterfinals.

Among the other area teams that are CIT-eligible are George Mason (18-14), Mount St. Mary's (18-14) and potentially Morgan State (15-14 entering the MEAC quarterfinals).